The Mother in Law

 The Mother In Law, by Sally Hepworth is an ebook I have had on my Kindle for a while.  I uncovered it when I went looking for a thriller set in Australia in order to fulfill prompts from different challenges using the same book as the month was nearing an end.  This book has quite an intriguing set of characters and a suspenseful story based in Melbourne.   The story bounces back and forth between the present when the matriarch of the family has passed away and into the past at different times to set the stage for the story.    The book grabbed my attention enough to stay up until 2am to finish it on the 2nd day of reading.  I plan to look into other books by Hepworth.  

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this thriller set in Australia. I liked both the suspenseful storyline and the characters developed in the story. The family dynamics in the story are very relatable to many readers I am certain. There are background stories that all weave together to tell a story of relationships and death.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  77
2. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 8
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #57
4. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #58
5. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #105  Shot #1
6. Medical Examiner Challenge 3 Toe Tags
7. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #23 recommended by a bookseller
8. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #8. Book that is set in the decade you were born in 
9. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #26. RECOMMENDED BY BOOKSTORE
10. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #21 A book set in the decade you were born
11. Pick your Poison  # 24 A standalone book
12. Read with Allison #17 Bookstore Recommendation:
13. Book Voyage  #bookvoyagechallenge  Jun Set in Australia
14. Diversify your reading #DYRC23  June: Thriller

Criminally Cocoa

 Criminally Cocoa is a fun novella in the Amish Candy Shop series.   Amanda Flower set it in NYC rather than the usual OH Amish country.  In this book Charlotte, Bailey and Cass find themselves in NY filming a tv show starring Bailey.  This book has a more innocent feel to it as the narrator is Charlotte.  This perspective allows Flower to explain much of the Amish point of view as well as many of the concepts of Rumspringa.  This makes for a change of pace from the usual Englisch frame of reference the reader gets when Bailey is narrating.  While the story is more innocent it is fun to see the city from the perspective of Charlotte who has lived her whole life in rural Ohio.  Never fear though there is still a mystery to be solved and the antics of Jethro are still alive and well.  A fun interlude in the series.  I read this book out of order and it did not impact the plot of the next book in the series.  I read and reviewed Toxic Toffee in 2020.  

This book in addition to being the 2nd book with the word Cocoa in it while being read at Easter time met the challenge prompts to find a book with a Rabbit on it and a mini challenge for April by 52 Book Club.  This latter is the prompt to have an egg on the cover.   

 

Criminally Cocoa by Amanda Flower
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

a fun novella in the Amish Candy Shop series. I really enjoyed reading a story from Charlotte's perspective and learning more about the Amish experience of Rumspringa. I found it especially fun to see Charlotte's take on NYC as I lived there when I was about her age but I had seen more of the world than she has.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #   
2. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023 Yes the Amish Candy series.  
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 3.5
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
5. What an Animal Book #14
6. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 7
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #38
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #20
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #39
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #35
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #102  Shot #1
12. Medical Examiner Challenge  Toe Tags
13. 23 in 2023 # 12 A book with a rabbit on the cover or in the title
14. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #10 bought and forgot it
15. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #10. A COMING-OF-AGE STORY
16. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge # A book with a rabbit on the cover
17. Pick your Poison  # 132 A book you can read in a day

A Friend in Knead

 I selected this book from my Kindle library in order to meet the monthly keyword challenge;  friend was a word to select from in March.  I ended up enjoying A Friend in Knead by Judith Jackson and found the characters to be fun.   I especially liked the dog with tutus and eye patches.  The parrot that belongs to the cafe's cook is a riot as well.  The mystery was well constructed with clues being dropped but not being obvious.  The guilty party was an interesting outcome.  I look forward to reading more in the series in the future.

A Friend In Knead by Judith Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

enjoyable small town Murder mystery

This is the first book in the series and as such the reader is introduced to a lot of characters. Some are quirky and others annoying- as intended. My only real complaint about the book was my inability to keep track off all these characters, really a minor issue. The mystery is well constructed with clues present that make sense and lead to the guilty party. I look forward to reading more about this little cafe In Vermont

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  44
2. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge F
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
5. What an Animal Book #12
6. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 6
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #33
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #17
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #35
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #31
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #  Shot #
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
13. Monthly Keyword #MonthlyKeyWordGXO  Friend

Dead Before Dinner

 I selected Dead Before Dinner by Kat Bellemore because it was a Kindle Unlimited book set in New Mexico.   NM is a state that I sometimes struggle with on my US States reading challenge so it seemed like a good choice.  I enjoyed the therapist aspect of the story and found it to feel a bit different from other cozy protagonists.  In this case, Maddie, has a past she is running from and a family she is trying to protect.  All while settling back into her hometown,  of whom many residents are not happy she has returned.  All this impacts her ability to get a clear answer on who had motives to kill the pesky councilwoman.  I liked the resolution of the story and I look forward to reading the next book in the series since it is set at the balloon festival, a bucket list item for me.  

Dead Before Dinner by Kat Bellemore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

unique approach for a cozy

I appreciated the fact Maddie is a therapist and how that leads to involvement in investigating but also comes with conflicts. Her return to her hometown of Amor is far from smooth. I think her bumpy path and uncertainty of her own path leads to the appeal of her as a character. Looking forward to reading more

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Challenge PromptsTweetDeck

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #34 
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  NM
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
5. Color Coded #3 Yellow
6. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 5
7. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #10
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #26
9. Craving for Cozies  Book #23
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 100 Shot #1
11. Medical Examiner Challenge 2 Toe Tags Poison
12. Around the Year in 52 Books # 44 A book where the cover design includes text that is not completely horizontal
13. Bookworm #17 Read a book with a yellow cover
14. HP Quidditch 23 #51 Body Blow: With a body part on the cover
15. Pick your Poison  # 111 A book about going home
16. Read with Allison #33 Book Featuring Time
17. Unruly Reader Bingo  #16 Guidance Counselor
18. Read Around the US   Feb New Mexico

A Palette for Murder

 This is actually the 7th book in the Murder She Wrote series by Jessica Fletcher.  I found A Palette for Murder at a used bookstore and didn't think I had read it before.   If I had previously read it I didn't remember much of the plot so as a reread it wasn't an issue.  This book finds Jessica on vacation in the Hamptons where her investigation engages her with many younger artistic people.  It is refreshing to see her a bit baffled by the idiosyncracies and mannerisms of the younger generation.  The book talks quite a bit about artwork and styles so those readers interested in art will find that engaging I would suspect.   The mystery was well conceived and I really was surprised at the ending.  We as readers definitely discover a different side to Jessica in this novel.  

A Palette for Murder by Jessica Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An old book in the series that I didn’t read before or it’s been so long I forgot I read it. A great read set in the Hamptons as Jessica expands her artistic expression to the visual arts

The mystery was well constructed with lots of plot twists. Always fun to read from this series.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book # 27 
2. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Series in progress
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 7
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
5. Color Coded #9 palette
6. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 4
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #19
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Travel  #2
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #19
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #16
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #39  Shot #4
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 4 Toe Tags  (3 poison/ 1 hit)
13. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #21 A second hand book
14. Around the Year in 52 Books #15. Three books, each of which is set in a different century: Book 1
15. Bookworm #27 Read a book by an author who shares a first or last name with one of your friends
16. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #22 that heist plot tho
17. Cozy Mysteries   #17 Includes a home project
18. HP Quidditch 23 #10 Nimbus 2000: Set or written before 2000
19. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #41. A book you bought from a bookstore
20. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #42. TITLE WITHOUT 'THE'
21. Pick your Poison  # 15 A book from your "collection"
22. Read with Allison #9 Book You Owned Before 2023
23. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge  Getaway

Dead Heat

 I started reading Dick Francis novels again last year and have remembered how much I enjoy his work.  I think the stories are a bit more engaging to me now as my son's girlfriend rides and I have now been exposed to the horseshow world peripherally.  This allows me to have more of a connection to the details in the novels Francis has written.  This one was written in 2007 after he had taken a break in writing and just returned to publication in the previous year.  

I really enjoyed Dead Heat and the character in the lead, Max.  There were several references to contemporary restaurants and chefs that made the connections to the story even stronger.   I think that is one of the aspects of Francis' writing that I enjoy.  He gives depth not only to his characters but also to the topics discussed in the stories.  In this case, there was a great deal about running a restaurant and being a chef since that is Max's career.   

There was also a great bit written about the polo scene.  It was interesting to learn some of the subtleties of the sport both in its play and rules and also the descriptions of the spectators and participants.  I appreciate that much of this information is conveyed either by the reflection of discovery by Max's research or conveyed through conversations with other spectators at the match.  It is far more interesting than just reading a factual paragraph or two.  

I found myself connecting with Max on an emotional level because his experiences and emotions were portrayed in a realistic manner.   He is a civilian exposed to some extreme violence and he reacted in a manner typical to how I would expect someone to process such an experience.  Rather than making him stoic and a hero we see his emotions and weaknesses which makes him that much more appealing as a character.  

Overall I really enjoyed this book both based on the plot and the mystery it entailed as well as the characters. There are some graphic descriptions of the violent aftermath of a bombing so readers should be aware before reading the novel.

Dead Heat by Dick Francis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dick Francis did it again with another suspense filled novel set amongst the horse world This one have a glimpse into the life of polo and explained some of the basics as well as some unique nuances. The storyline was well written with the various unknowns being unraveled at appropriate times. I felt the experience Max had and the way it haunted him was an realistic representation of how someone would react to the situation he found himself in. I always enjoy reading Dick Francis and this book was no exception

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book # 21
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  England
3. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge   F
4. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 2
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #16
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #15
7. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #42  Shot #3
8. Medical Examiner Challenge 22 Toe Tags
9. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #28 Includes a Funeral
10. Around the Year in 52 Books #27. A book by an author from continental Europe
11. Bookworm #36 Free Space! Pick any book
12. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #49 horses. that’s the prompt.
13. HP Quidditch 23 #52 Double Eight Loop: Written by multiple authors
14. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #31.Read a book with two or more authors
15. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #17. BOOK WITH ORANGE SPINE
16. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #33 A book about an athlete/sport
17. Pick your Poison  # 66 A book with a person jumping on the cover
18. Read with Allison #37 Bought Secondhand
19. Sci and Nature # 8 About Science Gone Wrong
20. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2023 
21. Unruly Reader Bingo  #8 Fire Drill
22. Book Voyage  #bookvoyagechallenge  Feb Western Europe

Lessons in Chemistry

 My first 5-star read of the year.  I am so glad I finally put this book at the top of my to-read list after seeing so many recommendations online in the various book groups I follow.  As someone who experienced studying engineering in college as the solo woman in my small department and then going to work on Wall Street, I encountered my fair share of doubting males.  But, I also encountered my share of Calvins that didn't differentiate based on my gender.  I was also fortunate enough to have many strong female managers who helped me in my career.  I appreciate the struggles women like Elizabeth endured to enable me to have the career I did in the 1990s.  

I think the aspect of this book I liked the most was although it is a serious topic and the struggles were represented well, they were not in your face like a lecture.  Rather the reader was able to process and intuit the differences in how Elizabeth was treated and the societal rules she was challenging.  I loved her belief that Life is Change and Chemistry is Change which helped her to encourage change and courage in many other women, most of whom she didn't know.  

Readers looking for an empowering read will like this novel.   There are some trigger scenes involving rape and inappropriate interactions in the plot.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book lived up to all the hype in my opinion. It is far more serious than the title would imply. I still felt like there were many light-hearted moments that brought a smile to my face. There is a level of seriousness to the story as well. Elizabeth and Calvin had rough lives before they met, each keeping secrets of their childhood but someone they were able to find each other and related to each other like none before. Both are very logical and pragmatic personalities and anyone that tends to lean toward that in their lives will definitely relate. As someone who feels they have a B****y resting face, I can certainly relate. The underlying story about the struggles women, particularly those working in scientific fields, encountered in the 50s and 60s was well written without feeling like it is a lecture. I cannot recommend this book enough, especially for women who have ever worked in a male-dominated career.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  24
2. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  G
3. What an Animal Book #5
4. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 3
5. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #1
6. Humor  Book #1
7. 23 in 2023 # 22 A book about the body, medicine, or science
8. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #43 A Book "Everyone" has read
9. Around the Year in 52 Books #35. A book with a school subject in the title
10. Bookworm # 55 Read a book that takes place in at least two different decades
11. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #2. Goodreads Winner in 2022
12. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #11 2022 debut novel
13. HP Quidditch 23 #25 Puddlemere United: With multiple points of view
14. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #10. Read a book that is hyped online
15. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #36. CHAPTERS HAVE TITLES
16. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge # 39 A book you wish you could read for the first time again
17. Pick your Poison  # 72 A book whose cover makes you think of a middle school girl
18. Read with Allison #3 Read By #readwithallison in 2022
19. Sci and Nature # 1 About a Scientist
20. Unruly Reader Bingo  #23 Chemistry
21. Beyond the Bookends  February- Read a historical romance